Cover art for XXXTENTACION’s “I’m Not Human” single
XXXTentacion Estate Releases "I'm Not Human" Featuring Lil Uzi Vert
As the world marked the fifth anniversary of rapper XXXTentacion’s tragic death on Sunday (June 18), his estate honored his memory with the release of a previously teased posthumous track, “I’m Not Human.” The song, featuring Lil Uzi Vert, was originally slated to drop on the late artist’s 25th birthday in January but was held back until the commemoration of his passing.
Born Jahseh Onfroy, XXXTentacion was only 20 years old when he was shot and killed outside a Florida motorcycle store, marking an abrupt end to a budding career. In a heartfelt note accompanying the song’s debut, his collaborator John Cunningham shared some insights into the track’s creation, revealing how the acoustic ballad originated from a day of impromptu recording.
“When I was living with Jah in Florida in 2018, we would spend most days in his room, me playing guitar and him singing, and the day he first sang ‘I’m Not Human,’ as I was playing that guitar part, we both looked at each other and cracked a smile, knowing it was special,” the producer and songwriter recalled in an official press statement. “We listened back to the voice memo he recorded and talked about finishing it, but the few times that we tried recording vocals in the studio, the feeling was never the same, and he always preferred the original voice memo, which is why we chose to keep it in the official version of the song.”
The long-awaited collaboration with Lil Uzi Vert was also discussed in Cunningham’s note. Conversations regarding an apt time for the release date back to late 2018, ahead of SKINS, XXXTentacion’s third studio album.
“Uzi came to Florida, played basketball with X’s little brother Aidan, and listened to the album with Cleo and I, but eventually, they felt it wasn’t the right time for a song, and it was agreed that we would rather wait for something to feel right rather than force it,” he said. “Years later, I’m happy to say the right time and right song aligned after Cleo and Uzi reconnected in late 2022.”
Upon hearing “I’m Not Human” at the studio, Uzi’s reaction convinced the songwriter that their years of discussion and song ideas had finally reached fruition. “I met up with Uzi at the studio, and after one of the few heartfelt conversations we’d have that night, I played the song — which hadn’t been touched since May of 2018 — and after seeing Uzi’s reaction to the song, it felt as though the past few years of conversations and back-and-forth song ideas had all led up to this. That feeling was echoed after hearing Uzi and Jahseh’s voices together in a way that neither of them has ever sounded,” Cunningham stated.
The three men involved in Onfroy’s fatal shooting in Deerfield Beach, Florida, were sentenced to life in prison without parole earlier this year, adding a chapter of closure to his story.
Concluding his note, Cunningham expressed how this particular track holds a special place in his heart despite the often complicated and conflicting nature of posthumous releases. He credits this to his role in fostering the connection between “two of the most pure and loving people” he knows, ultimately fulfilling the legacy XXXTentacion had started. The rapper’s mother, Cleopatra Bernard, also took to Instagram to share a sincere message regarding her son’s death.
“I can’t believe it’s been five years since you were taken from us. Not a day goes by that I don’t miss you. I know you always said I was the apple of your eye, but the truth is you are mine. I’m proud of you for having the courage to be yourself and express yourself at the highest level,” she wrote. “I’m not alone in missing you; I mourn you every day along with the rest of our family and our extended family of your millions of fans.”
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